FOURTH
SUNDAY in LENT
MARCH
18, 2007
(M -
Memorial, A - Anniversary)
JOSEPH, husband of Mary
6:45 BERNARD
BROOKS--M
req.
by the Family
9:00 JANE and MICHAEL HARDIMAN--M
req. by Mary Jane & Paul Krebbs
TUESDAY, MARCH 20
6:45 ANGELA L. MC CAULEY--A
req. by Jim & Claudine
McCauley
9:00 THE MONAHAN FAMILY
req. by Pat Barberio
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21
6:45 JOSEPH
VALLARIO--M
req. by the Family
9:00 HELEN MARA NUGENT
and JOSEPH NUGENT--M
reg. by Maura &
Richard Concannon
THURSDAY, MARCH 22
6:45 ARCHIBALD
MORRIS--M
req.
by Maureen Morris
9:00 MARGARET
MAGUIRE--M
req. by Ken & Kate Nixon
TORIBIO, bishop
6:45 JOSEPH TRAPANESE--M
req. by Mary Anne Tranpanese
9:00 KATHLEEN and TOM VALECHE--M
req.
by Pat Sweeney
9:00 CHARLOTTE and
MALACHY CONCANNON--M
req. by Maura & Richard Concannon
5:30 FOR
THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH
SUNDAY, MARCH
25
7:30 THERESA
ASTORINO--M
req. by Jimmy Scholl
9:00 TIMOTHY
J. REGAN--M
req. by Ro & Jack Regan
10:30 MARGARET
MARY O’NEILL--M
req. by Pat & Dermod
Sullivan
12:00 THOMAS
JENNINGS--M
req. by Richard &
Paula Rivera
5:00 DOROTHY PECORA—M
req. by Helen Windbiel
PRAYERFUL
REMEMBRANCES
Your prayers are requested for
the sick at home, and in the hospitals, especially: John Manning, Meghan
Chiodo, James Curtin, Carmella
Musumeci, Msgr. Joseph J. Boyd, Ramona Murill, Debra Abrahamsen, Patricia Kuhr, Theresa Astorino, Joseph Mileti, Dotty
Doherty, Caroline Weldon, Brenda McWeeney, Lenny Cavalieri, Jenna Mussolini, Teresa
Civetta, Frank Maiola, Aileen O’Brien, Sister
Margaret Coakley, Ed Lenard, Pam Hissey, Tricia Eigo, Alice Nasta, Mildred Traub, Catherine Ann
Brennan, Mary & Tony Fraioli, Hank Lawlor, Sarah Butler, Mimi Cosgrove,
Kristen Long, Patrick Lamont, Elizabeth Kim, Eloise Selby, Thomas M. Lamb, for
our service men and women at home and abroad; for the faithful departed, and those who have no one to pray for them;
and for the honored dead of the Armed Services.
SUNDAY COLLECTION
Last week’s collection (3—11—07)
$9.078
Maintenance: $3,213
Attendance: 989
The parish of Saints John and Paul thanks you for
your support. We are grateful to our parishioners who use our envelope system.
If you wish to receive Church support envelopes, please call the Rectory at
834-5458.
10:30 AM
MASS MUSIC NOTES
Today, as the Choir sings “O Taste And See” by R. Vaughan Williams, we
are reminded of the Responsorial Psalm: “Taste and see the goodness of the
Lord”.
BAPTISM
PREPARATION for PARENTS of INFANTS
To arrange for a
Baptism, please call the rectory and you will be given an appointment with one
of the parish priests.
Water in
the Word
Baptismal
Preparation Session Schedule
All sessions are
offered on the following Saturday mornings from 10 AM – 11:30 AM. Please call
the rectory to attend. We will begin new sessions in 2007. The date for the upcoming
class is as follows: April 14th,
FRIDAY, MAY 4th at 7:30 pm,
and June 2nd.
STATIONS
of the CROSS
There will be Stations
of the Cross at 2:00 PM and 8:00 PM on all Fridays during Lent.
EASTER
FOOD BASKETS…
We
will have the collection of Easter Food Baskets on Sunday, April 1st,
from 4 – 5 PM and again on Monday, April 2nd, from 8:30 – 9:30 AM.
The sign-up sheets are on the bulletin board between the church and the school.
Please
remember to bring a non-perishable food item with you each time you come to
Mass. We could use cereal and pasts sauce.
Thank
you.
WANT TO
SEE PARISH PHOTOS on THE INTERNET?
Fr. Joe has been
taking pictures of many events in and around the parish – SJP School Pep Rally,
Christmas Show, The Living Rosary, Teen Ski Trip, etc. If you would like to
view any or all of them, please go to http://community.webshots.com/user/joeeno.
EAGLE
SCOUT PROJECT
Brendan
Duffy, a parishioner, is a candidate to be become an Eagle Scout. He is
collecting supplies to benefit the children of the CAP Center in Mamaroneck.
The following items would be greatly appreciated:
Tempera paint: All colors, gallon size only
Construction Paper: Only 9 x 12 and 12x18 sizes. Individual color
packs only.
School Glue: Gallon size (Elmer’s or generic)
Finger-paints: All colors, pint size
Crayons: Thick style only
A
collection box will be in the hall between the church and the school where you
can place the items. Thank you for your help and generosity.
CALENDAR of EVENTS for WEEK OF MARCH 18th:
SUNDAY, MARCH 18th:
9:00 AM CH: First Communion Enrollment
Mass/Family Mass
10:10 AM SCH: Religious Education Classes
2:30 PM CH:Performance of Mozart
4:00 PM GYM: Baseball registration &
first practice
MONDAY, MARCH 19th:
3:00 PM GYM, RMR & AUD: PSPA after school
activities
6:30 PM RMR: Safe Environment
7:30 PM RMR: Fr. Brian’s class
TUESDAY, MARCH 20th:
9:00 AM RMR: Catechetical Regional Office Meeting
3:00 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA after school activities
6:30 PM AUD: Pinewood Derby
7:30 PM RECTORY: RCIA
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21st:
11:00 AM SARAH NEUMAN: Mass
12:45 PM RMR: 2nd grade Brownies
12:45 PM GYM & AUD: PSPA after school activities
7:00 PM RMR: Boy Scouts
THURSDAY, MARCH 22nd:
7:00 PM RMR: K of C
FRIDAY, MARCH 23rd:
2 :00 PM CHURCH: Stations of the
Cross
8:00 PM CHURCH: Stations of the
Cross
SATURDAY, MARCH 24th:
9:00 AM SCH, AUD, & CH: First Communion Family Retreat
9:00 AM GYM: Basketball
11:00AM GYM: Baseball
STS. JOHN
and PAUL SCHOOL FUNDRAISER
Chance books are on
sale after all the Mass this weekend and next weekend for the annual school
fundraiser “SJP Hollywood ‘07”. Please stop by and purchase one to help support
our wonderful school.
BOYS
VARSITY BASEBALL
There will be
registration and first practice for the Boys Varsity Baseball team (7 & 8
grades) on Sunday, March 18th, at 4:00 PM in the gym.
DANCE for
5th, 6th, 7th AND 8th GRADERS
The Woman’s Guild will
sponsor a Spring Dance for the Parish Students of the 5th, 6th,
7th, and 8th grades. It will be held on April 20th
at 7 pm until 10 pm in the Auditorium. We will have a DJ and pizza. If anyone
would like to help chaperone the dance, please call Mary Haney at 833-2251.
A DAY of
REMEMBERANCE for OUR FALLEN SERVICE MEN and WOMEN
SPONSIRED
by the INTERFAITH GROUP of LARCHMONT/MAMARONECK
Sunday,
March 18, 2007
1:00 p.m.
St. John’s
Episcopal church Auditorium
Fountain
Square
Larchmont
LARCHMONT
HAS A WINNER
Larchmont had a winner
at the Knights of Columbus Downstate Regional Free Throw Championship!
Congratulations to Bobby Santariello, age 12 of SJP, who won the Downstate New
York Regional Championship in the Knights of Columbus Free Throw Championship!
This is the fourth contest that Bobby has won in this statewide tournament.
Bobby now moves on the New York state finals at West Point in April. Bobby is
the first boy from lower Westchester to advance to the State Finals in the K of
C Free Throw Contest.
NEWS from
ST. AUGUSTINE’S…
St. Augustine’s Parish
invites all to the “Irish Fleadh” to be held in the auditorium on Sunday March
25th, from 2:30 – 4:45 PM. Entrance Fee: $5.00 per person, or $25.00
per family. There will be refreshments.
This event is open to
all. Please join us. For additional information, please contact Anne-Mieka
Smeets at 834-0194.
SAFE
DRIVING COURSE
DISCOUNTS
OFF YOUR INSURANCE
POINTS OFF
YOUR LICENSE
The National Safety Council’s
Defensive Driving Course will be held here at Sts. John and Paul on two
consecutive Fridays, April 13th and 20th, 7 – 10PM in the
Rectory Meeting Room. THIS IS A 6 HOUR COURSE AND YOU MUST BE ABLE TO ATTEND
BOTH CLASSES. THE CLASS IS LIMITED TO THE FIRST 40 REGISTRATIONS RECEIVED, SO
APPLY EARLY. YOU MUST REGISTER IN ADVANCE. If you participated in this course
in 2003, your discount is about to run out. This class is NOT limited to
returning participants. The fee is $45 per person; your check must be made out
to Bob Fogel and returned to the Rectory by March 30th, Attention:
Nancy Richy, Defensive Driving Course. Please fill out the form below and
return it with your payment.
DEFENSIVE DRIVING COURSE, APRIL 13
& 20, 2007
Participant’s Name(s)
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
Phone#____________________________________________$___________________
enclosed for____________________
participant(s) @$45 each. Please make check payable to Bob Fogel and
return to the Rectory by March 30th, Attention: Nancy Richy.
FR.
BRIAN’S BIBLE CLASS
Father Brian’s class
on the new Catechism for Adults will be held on Monday evening, March 19th, at
7:30. This program takes place in the rectory meeting room.
RCIA
The RCIA class will be
held on Tuesday, March 20th, at 7:30 PM in the rectory.
URSULINE
CHEERLEADING CLINIC
All girls ages 5 – 14
are invited to attend. Saturday, March 24th from 10am – 4pm. Cost:
$60.00 If you are interested, please contact Jean DeSalvo at 636-0461 for more
information. You must reply before March 19th.
EPS
WESTCHESTER FORUM
A series of talks
regarding vocational roles and responsibilities will be held on Wednesdays,
March 21 – April 25, at St. Pius X Church in Scarsdale from9:30 am to 12:30 pm.
The suggested donation for the six week term is $140. For more information,
contact Marisol Maya at 683-6567 or epswestchesterforum@trinityde.edu.
KNIGHTS of
COLUMBUS NEWS…
On Thursday, March 22nd,
the Knights will have an Open House and Social Night at 8 PM for the men of the
parish in the RMR. March Madness will be on the large screen TV and food and
drink will be served. If you are interested in coming, please call 834-3161
before March 20th.
The Knights are
holding an initiation Ceremony on April 3rd. This is open to all men
of the parish who are looking to join the K of C. The candidates are asked to
meet in the rectory meeting room at 7:30 PM. The Council will have a reception
following the ceremony. Men planning on attending should call 834-3161 before March 30th to RSVP.
THE LIVING
STATIONS
The Youth Group of our parish will once again present The Living
Stations on Wednesday, March 28th, at 7:30 PM in the Church. This is
a very moving reenactment of the Stations done through words, songs and
actions. Please plan to be present for a prayerful evening during Lent.
25th
and 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS
The parish will honor
all couples celebrating their 25th and 50th wedding
anniversaries during 2007 with a Mass at 10:30 AM and a reception following the
Mass on Sunday, April 29th. If you are celebrating either of these
anniversaries and would like to participant in this special event, please call
the Rectory and ask for Charlotte. Reservations must be in to the Rectory by
Monday, April 24th so that we can prepare for the luncheon. Thank
you.
50th
WEDDING ANNIVERSARY CELERATION at the CATHEDRAL
Couples celebrating
their 50th Wedding Anniversary anytime during 2007 are invited to
attend the annual Golden Wedding Jubilee Mass with Cardinal Egan at the
Cathedral of St. Patrick on Sunday, May 20th, at 2:00 pm.
Pre-registration is required. Please call Charlotte at the Rectory (834-5458)
to register for this celebration. The closing date to register is Friday, May 4th.
WOMEN’S
GUILD NEWS…
SAVE the DATE: THURSDAY, MAY 3rd
The Women’s Guild will
hold their annual Spring Luncheon that day at the Larchmont Shore Club
beginning at 11:30 AM. They are honored to have the three authors of the new
book “The Faith Club”. There will be more details in future bulletins.
SAVE THE
DATE
The Pastor’s Dinner will
be held this on THURSDAY, JUNE 7th, at 7:00 PM at the Larchmont
Shore Club. So mark your calendars and be part of a fun filled evening. All men
of the parish will receive a letter in the mail with more details.
EASTER
FLOWER MEMORIALS
Once again envelopes
for the Easter Flower Memorials can be found in the rear of Church. We suggest
a $15.00 donation for each memorial (In Memory Of) or dedication (In Honor Of).
The list will be published in the bulletins throughout the Easter season.
DINNER for
FR.GROESCHEL and the FRANCISCAN FRIARS
A dinner to support
the work of Fr. Benedict Groeschel and the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal in
their work with the poor and homeless will be held at the Larchmont Shore Club
on Wednesday, April 18th, at 7:30 PM. The cost is $150 per person.
CAMP ECHO
BAY
Open House for Camp
Echo Bay will be held on Saturday, March 31st, and Sunday, April 1st,
from 1 – 4 pm. The camp is located on a 17 acre campus at Salesian High School.
This is a recreational day camp for boys and girls ages 4 – 14. Camp goes from
June 25th to August 16th.
Call 576-1251 or
632-0248 for a brochure or visit the camp’s website at www.campechobay.org. Or email:
campdirector @campechobay.org.
PASTOR’S COLUMN
The place of execution has been reached as we view
the tenth station. The level of insult spent upon the condemned has not abated.
In fact, it has arisen to the crescendo of pure hysteria. The enemies of the
Nazarene are gleefully shouting obscenities. The venom of the Evil One towards
the Way, the Truth, and the Life is experienced in the actions of the soldiers
as they rip his tattered garments from his body. They care little about
standards of modesty as they leave him open to the ridicule of his detractors.
To them, he has become the object of sport. Like his co-religionists, he serves
them as a relief from the boredom they feel in this rancid outpost of imperial
powers. They know that the leaders who have sought this man’s death and today
are their allies are just as liable to see their end in bloody revolution. For
his part, the Lamb of God is still. He responds not to the disrespect with
which he has been treated. He possesses within himself the peace that comes
from identifying with the will of the Father. As he promised in the garden, he
has accepted the chalice of suffering. No matter what is said to him or about
him, he is secure in himself. Though others seek to tear down his human
dignity, he will not be deprived of his confidence in his creaturehood. Because
of his self-understanding, the lacerations of his body do not penetrate his
soul. In our so called “enlightened age” so many people seek the affirmation of
their significance from others. They hunger so greatly for it that the smallest
compliment becomes exaggerated or the most minor admonition causes deep
depression. They permit other’s reactions to color their day or determine their
course of action or inaction. The adage to “thine own self be true” is devoid
of meaning. For fear of being naked before their enemies, they go along with
the politically expedient solution or the morally enigmatic response to the
crises faced by the human family. Though it might cause us pain, we must be
willing to stand up for truth in opposition to the “tyranny of relativism”. We
cannot depend on others to defend the life of the unborn; to protect the rights
of the sick and the aged; and to secure the basic necessities of life for the
impoverished. The warning once given by Jesus must be heeded: If you
acknowledge me before men then I will acknowledge you before the Father; if you
are ashamed of me before men, then I will be ashamed of you…”
None of us is a stranger to physical pain:
we have had broken limbs; some among us have experienced childbirth; and we
have been operated on to remove diseased parts of our body. It can be easily
recognized that no matter what has been endured the agony caused by the Romans
in nailing Jesus to his cross is far more devastating. As we meditate on the
eleventh station, we realize that with each blow the Savior is accepting on his
weakened shoulders our sins. From his prone position, Jesus looks out across
the thousands of miles and hundreds of years and says “yes” to accepting the
burden of man’s willful rebellion against the Divine Will. Almost cavalierly,
we state Christ died for all men. Such an expression distances us from the
harsh reality: each of our sins, no matter how minor, has resulted in the blows
which tightened the grip of the spikes which held his wrists on the arms of the
tree of execution. Foolishly, we dismiss some of our actions with
justifications such as “Everyone does it”; “What harm could it do”; and “I am
not as bad as they are.” Prior to the calling of Vatican II and the
promulgation of the document Nostre Aetate, centuries of ignorant people
attempted to place blame for the death of Jesus on the Jewish people. Such
accusations of deicide are not only vile, they are false. As humanity’s
salvation was made necessary because of Adam’s sin, so it caused the
crucifixion. Let us hear Paul’s call to make up what is lacking in the death of
Christ by accepting whatever sufferings we encounter in our life: physical
pain, mental anguish, or the spiritual “dark night of the soul.”
The cross is set into the stony foundation
but not before nailed above the Savior’s head is the truth unwittingly
published by the duplicitous governor: INRI (Jesus the Nazarene, King of the
Jews). From his ignominious throne, the Lord would reign for three hours. He was
attended only by his mother and a couple of her friends, his disciple, John,
and a few silent cowering disciples looking on from a distance. Though the pain
must have been excruciating, his mind was filled with concern for others,
including his persecutors. He addressed the young man who could hardly bear to
look upon the body of his teacher and lord. “Behold your mother.” Jesus felt
that Mary would need companionship he would not be able to provide any longer.
The once young maiden had experienced the loss of the devote Joseph and now in
this latter moment the loss of her only child. For his part, the apostle was
prepared to take the responsibility he was given very seriously. Did she not
take care of him and the others so often during the last three years? Now, he
would take her into his home. “Behold your son.” Like her first-born, the
Blessed Mother was concerned about these followers who not only would remain
faithful but also would be sent out to preach and heal in the name of the
Messiah. As the insults continued to be shouted, his only response to his
detractors was “Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing.”
How different our reactions are when we are attacked. Frequently, vengeance is
our only goal. We forget that our position would be very untenable were we
called to task by the Lord for all of our offenses against God and man. Indeed,
when he cries out from the cross, he speaks to our spiritual condition and our
need for compassion. Towards the end, Jesus shouts: “My God, My God, why have
you forsaken me?” Some believers who lack a familiarity with the Psalter think
that Jesus is despairing. As the blood leaves his body, so does his faith. This
is the greatest of errors. The recitation is the opening words of a psalm which
ends with God’s triumphant rescue of his servant. Jesus realizes that his
suffering will have a salrufic effect. It will not go for naught. Our
understanding of suffering should be informed by this reality. Too often, we do
not see any purpose in “taking up our crosses.” This, as our tradition has
taught us, is foolish. Having reached the end of his life, the evangelist
states that Christ uttered the words: “Father, into your hands, I commend my
spirit.” At the end of our lives, may we be able to say that we cooperated with
God’s graces in all our thoughts, words, and actions. Then like Christ, our
death will give way to eternal life.
Please continue to be prayerful this Lent
that peace might come to our world.
Jesu vivat,
Fr. Brian